Why Not? Because I Said So Book Reviews and Author Interviews. : The Dreaming Beauty: An Enchanted Regency Romance By Anneka R. Walker-Book Review and Giveaway

Friday, July 22, 2022

The Dreaming Beauty: An Enchanted Regency Romance By Anneka R. Walker-Book Review and Giveaway

Product Details

Title: The Dreaming Beauty: An Enchanted Regency Romance
Author: Anneka R. Walker
Genre: Regency Romance
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Covenant Communications (July 11, 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1524422061

***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***

Book Summary

Once upon a dream, two cursed people fell in love...

Tansy White doesn't want to end up alone like her three aunts who raised her, but when she is betrayed by her would-be betrothed, she fears she might never change her fate. At her aunts' suggestion, she seizes the chance to visit Rose Cottage, the country home of her late mother. For years, dreams of the cottage have haunted Tansy, and she is convinced it holds the answer to her hidden past. But after getting caught in a terrible storm, she meets a man who is just as determined as she is to learn all her secrets.

Marcus Taylor, brother to the Duke of Westmorland, is also troubled by vivid dreams. On a sleepless night, as a tempest rages outside his brother's estate, he makes a discovery far more mysterious than any dream: a young woman, cold as ice, lies unconscious in the library, and he is sure she is the key to solving his problems. When she makes, what begins as a shared quest for information turns into an unexpected friendship. As they piece together the fragments of their past, they discover a tangled web of lies, and their feelings for each other become just as entwined. But is their love as strong as their dreams. . . or their fate?

My Review

The Dreaming Beauty is a new Wholesome Regency Romance with fairytale Sleeping Beauty influences weaved throughout the story. Anneka Walker has created another charming story with more great characters. This novel also has characters from the book, The Masked Baron that I loved. The good thing is, The Dreaming Beauty can be read as a stand-alone novel.

The beauty in this story is Tansy White who has been living with her three peculiar aunts since the age of five after her mother died. When she is about to turn twenty, they decide it's time to take Tansy to Rose Cottage where she used to live. The three quirky aunts reminded me a lot of the three fairies in Disney's Sleeping Beauty. Though there isn't magic at Rose Cottage, there is a sense of mystery and wonder. I truly loved Aunt Daisy who had the heart and mind of a child and believed in fairies.

Of course, you can't have a Sleeping Beauty story without a handsome prince. This handsome man was Marcus Taylor, who lived close by and was brother to the Duke of Westmorland. By chance of fate on a dark and stormy night, Marcus saves Tansy, and then a spark is lit. There is a lot of push and pull between these two. They both are having disturbing dreams that make them wary of others and life in general. The romance is slow building and it felt absolutely appropriate in this story. Marcus is a true hero as he is kind, helpful, and loyal to those around him. There is no way any woman wouldn't fall in love with him. Simon, Marcus's brother, thinks differently though. It was easy for me to pick a favorite brother.

There were some surprising mysteries that unfold in the last several chapters of the book. Some were more apparent than others. For Tansy's well-being, I wish she would have found out some truths a lot earlier than she did. Her aunts had kept their lips sealed about family secrets that eventually were spilled for all to hear. This novel does have its HEA (Happily Ever After) and The Dreaming Beauty certainly delivers on its fairytale feel.

***Meet Author Anneka R. Walker***

Anneka Walker was raised by a librarian and an English teacher turned judge. After being fed a steady diet of books, she decided to learn about writing. The result was a bachelor's degree in English and History. When she isn't dreaming up a happy ending for a story, she's busy living her own together with her husband and adorable children.